News India Live, Digital Desk: What comes to your mind when you hear the name of the holiday? Perhaps resting in a luxurious hotel, eating in good restaurants, visiting famous places and getting lots of photographs taken and then coming back home. For years, this was what vacation meant for us. But now, especially after Corona, the definition of travel for Indian tourists is changing rapidly.

Now holidays are not limited to just resting or ‘seeing’ places, but rather ‘living’ them. This new trend is being called “Experience-First Travel” i.e. ‘giving priority to experience’.

What is this “Experience-First” concept?

Simply put, now travelers want to see the beauty of a place as well as be a part of its culture, food and local life. Now he prefers to travel not as a tourist but as a traveller. Their aim is not only to register their presence at that place, but also to return from there after learning something new and having some memorable experience.

Why is the thinking of Indians changing?

There are several reasons behind this change:

• Life is short: The Corona period taught us all that there is no trust in life. Therefore, instead of postponing things, people now want to experience them immediately.


• Impact of social media: Now on Instagram and YouTube, not only pictures of beautiful places, but also unique experiences there, like staying in a village, learning to cook local food or videos of any adventure activity, are being liked more. People are getting inspired by this.


• Distance from boredom: People are bored of going to the same hotels, same food and same crowded places. Now they want something new and exciting.

What is experience-first travel?

This is very different from traditional holidays. People in:

• Choosing a homestay: Instead of big and expensive hotels, people are now preferring to stay with local families in their homes (homestays). This gives them a chance to know the culture there closely.


• Eating local food: Instead of fancy restaurants, they are exploring local dhabas or street food, so that they can taste the real taste of the place.


• Learning something new: Many travelers are now spending time on their holidays taking cooking classes, pottery making, yoga retreats or learning a local art.


• Getting closer to nature: Away from the crowded cities, people are now preferring to connect with nature by trekking, camping, river rafting or spending a few days in a quiet village.

Now Indian travelers are not roaming around with just a checklist of which places to see. They are now setting out in search of a story – a story that they can tell back home, not just in pictures, but in their words and memories. This new way of traveling not only gives them a deep satisfaction, but also strengthens the local economy of those places.